Art of producing moire pattern effects in fabrics



Patented July 4, 1950 ART OF PRODUCING MOIRE "PATTERN EFFECTS IN FABRICS August 'Holterhoff, New York, N; X.

No. Drawing. ApplicationMay 27, 1948, "Serial No. 29,649

Claims. 1

This invention relates to improvements in the art of producing moir pattern effects in fabrics; 1t isa continuation inpart of mypending'U. 'S. patent application Serial No. 741,413, filed April 14, 1947, now Patent No. 2,448,145.

Moire designs are frequently produced by the so-called scratch? and Francais bar methods. The .scratch method is adapted to produce figured designs of infinite variation and hence it is more popular it involves a displacement of the Weave of the fabric by the impact. of resilient steel blades in the pattern or design areas. hough the fabrics are generally cushioned by rubber rolls, the impact of the-blades abrade the yarn and frequently damage the weave; holes are often produced in the goods during the performance ofthisv method. However, the beauty of the thus created moir designs is so fascinating that these severe drawbacks of the method have been accepted. The mentioned difliculties wereparticularly apparent with fabrics made of cellulose acetate, the yarns of which tend to break due to the impact of the blades, The difficulties couldbe eliminated to a certain extent by wetting the fabrics.

It .is one of the objects of this invention to produce -moir patterns in fabrics of every type and make which not only equal in beauty to scratch made moir fabrics but are decidedly superior to the same.

It is anotherrimportant. object of this invention to obtain this aim without a detrimental infiuence on the texture of the treated fabrics.

A further object of this invention is the provision ofmeans which will permit a modification and. Variation of the moir designs forming conditions within wide operational limits.

It is a. furthernobject of this invention to enlarge the applicability of the moir designs producing art to practically every type of fabric and particularly also fabrics consisting of cotton, natural and artificial silk, plastics, synthetic resins and mixtures of these materials.

It is an important object of the invention to produce the moir designs independently upon the delicacy of the treated fabrics.

It is also an object of the invention to eliminate change of softness and of the original touch of the moired fabrics and to prevent their becoming stiff and boardy.

With the above recited and additional objects in view which will become apparent as this description proceeds the invention comprises in its broad aspect the inclusion of steps in the moir producing procedure which consist in the moistening' of the fabrics within confined areas while maintaining the same under tension.

In conformity with one embodiment of this invention the fabrics are moistened within the confined pattern areas under tension and dried While maintaining the" tension, then doubled and treated by heat and pressure to produce the final moir effects.

In conformity with another modification the fabrics are folded, the folded fabrics are moistened within confined. pattern areas and dried whileiunder tension and the pattern designs are completed by the application of heat and pressure.

The fabrics to be moired in accordance with my invention may be of any type; they may contain natural yarns such as cotton, wool, silk yarns, artificial yarns such as viscose rayon, acetate rayon, plastics such as nylon; they may also be composed of mixtures of these yarns and made up as tafietas, .bengalines, failles, poplins, etc. .As mentioned above, fabrics and textiles may be moired in conformity with this invention which have been hitherto considered too delicate for this purpose such as sheers, crepes, 1uanas.

lhe design or pattern impression is produced according to .my invention by the combined action of heat,.moisture. within confined areas-and tension, the conjoint action. of which produces an adequate setting of the moir patterns in the fabric, the heat and tension being simultaneously applied to cause quick drying andwarping of the threads.

,The .moisture is applied to certain regions which form the pattern areas and dried while the fabrics are keptunder tension during the performance'of these steps. Upon the completionof this treatment the fabrics may be folded double and subjected to heat and pressure to produce the finished moir effects. More particularly the fabric is wettened or moistened in confined pattern areas according to this invention to increase the moisture contents within these areas prior to any moir design completing treatment.

In order that the moisture be applied solely to the areas prescribed by the pattern a wetted roller may be used having raised portions representing the design or a stencil; an engraved printing cylinder may be employed or a hand sponge or brush or any combination of these means; the performance of this invention is, however, not restricted to the employment of the above recited utensils.

The moistening or wetting agent may vary in wide limits; aqueous solutions such as phosphates,

chlorides, starches and gum containing solutions may be used. These aqueous solutions may be partly or entirely replaced by organic liquids such as alcohols, benzene, acetone, carbon tetrachloride and other organic solvents.

It may be advisable to vary the viscosity of the moistening or wetting liquids with respect to the character of the treated fabrics in order to prevent or retard the diffusion of the liquids beyond the pattern areas or to intensify the liquid penetration within the same. Fabrics which permit of an easy liquid penetration should be wetted H with liquids or solutions of a higher viscosity,

whereas low viscosity liquids should be used for wetting less liquid permeable, thicker or coated i fabrics.

' fects on fabrics comprising moistening the fabrics The applied tension while acting with the same force on the Wet and the dry portions of the fabric causes a different reaction insofar as the wet portions undergo a dislocation of the structure while the dry portions resist the tension better and practically preserve their structure. After being dried the stretched or distorted portions retain their dislocated structure whereby the same efiect is achieved which was formerly accomplished by the above mentioned'mechanical means. The heat is preferably applied to the fabrics by suitable metallic surfaces, rollers, or cylinders which directly transmit the same to the fabric, thereby preserving the structural change of the wetted areas.

The thus treated fabric may now be folded over and subjected to heat and pressure in the conventional manner to produce the finished moir effects. 1 Moreover, the invention offers a way of producing surprisingly fascinating moir effects which consists in adding dye-stuffs or coloring matter to the wetting or moistening liquids; a gum and ultramarine containing aqueous wetting solution has, for instance, been found to be most welcome in the performance of this modification of my invention. If colored wetting solutions or liquids are used'for the purpose of this invention it is recommended to subject the fabrics subsequently to the tension treatment to a combined steaming, washing and drying procedure.

Illustratively, diagonally arranged spaced bands of the original fabric may be wetted within defined areas, for instance by a patterned roller while under tension; it has been found that the greater the amount of moisture used the more pronounced is the subsequently produced design effect. The fabric may now be run under tension over a heated cylinder having a smooth surface, the speed of travel of the fabric, the temperature of the cylinder and the tension on the fabric being suitably adjusted to produce the final moir designs within confined areas as the moisture is within confined pattern areas while applying tension to the same, drying the fabrics while maintaining the tension, doubling the thus treated fabrics and applying heat and pressure to produce the finished moir effect.

2. The method of producing moir pattern effects on fabrics comprising moistening the fabrics within confined pattern areas with liquids having different viscosities while applying tension to the same, drying the fabrics while maintaining the tension, doubling the thus treated fabrics and applying heat and pressure to produce the finished moir effect.

7 3. The method of producing moir pattern effects on fabrics comprising moistening the fabrics within confined pattern areas with aqueous solutions while applying tension to the same, drying the fabrics while maintaining the tension, doubling the thus treated fabrics and applying heat and pressure to produce the finished moir effect.

'4=. "The method of producing moire pattern effects on fabrics comprising moistening the fabrics within confined pattern areas with organic liquids While applying tension to the same, drying the fabrics while maintainin the tension, doubling the'thus treated fabrics and applying heat and pressure to produce the finished moir effect.

5. The method of producing moir pattern effects on fabrics comprising moistening the fabrics within confined pattern areas with colored liquids while applying tension to the same, drying the fabrics while maintaining the tension, doubling the thus treated fabrics and applying heat and pressure to produce the finished moire effect.

AUGUST HOLTERHOFF.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file'of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Gross Aug. 12, 1941 

